September 2005
Occult I had a strange and troubling dream of a far off frozen waste, and of the many bodies that lay strewn across it. Stragglers move across the field, picking remnants from the bodies of the dead. Occasionally, a small group will stop to pay particular attention to one of the bodies, carefully stripping it of all of its goods, slowly peeling off the flesh for later consumption before moving on. I do not know what the dream means, but it must mean something. ~ James Helmudson, Head of the Unification Theorists Elect. Health, Politics, University Admissions to psychiatric faculties have risen this month as the number of those displaying symptoms attributable to paranoid schizophrenia appears to have risen across the city. A number of prominent psychologist’s have commented that parts of the population seem to suffering from a “shared madness”, and that this may in part be responsible for the rise in levels of violence and hostility across the city. GP’s have also commented that they have been required to prescribe twice the normal amount of anti-depressants this month than normal, with new cases being referred to them each week. High Society, Occult He drowsed and was aware of silence heaped / Round him, unshaken as the steadfast walls; / Aqueous like floating rays of amber light, / Soaring and quivering in the wings of sleep. / Silence and safety; and his mortal shore / Lipped by the inward, moonless waves of death. ~ Siegfried Sassoon, The Death Bed. Media, Occult, Street The city experienced more strange weather when a light rain of ash fell upon it in the early hours of Monday 8th August. Search teams were quickly dispatched to determine whether there was a large fire anywhere in the vicinity but reported nothing. Similar rainfalls were reported in a number of European cities and it is believed that the ash may have travelled in prevailing winds from the Asian border. Meteorologists noted that the transport of unusual materials with the wind was not an uncommon occurrence and pointed to a number of “frog falls” in the late nineteenth century. Occult, Politics, Street I heard on the radio there's rumors of war / People getting ready for battle / And there may be just one more / I heard about an earthquake / And the toll it took away / These are the signs of the times we're in today. Matthew twenty-four is knocking at the door, / And there can't be too much more to come to pass. / Matthew twenty-four is knocking at the door, / And a day or one more could be the last. A great bear from the northland has risen from his sleep, / And the Army ranks in red are near two hundred million deep. / The young and old now prophesy a coming Prince of Peace / And last night I dreamed of lightning in the east. Matthew twenty-four is knocking at the door, / And there can't be too much more to come to pass. / Matthew twenty-four is knocking at the door, / And a day or one more could be the last. ~ Johnny Cash ~ Matthew Twenty Four. Occult, Street Remember “By water he comes / Cut off from the world / A lack of light his only comfort / Only a yawning abyss for company / His brothers gone / His mother lost to cruel snow and the wild.”? It’s showing up more and more across the city (and the rest of the region from the looks of it), often only a single line scribed across a wall or written in the corner of a menu, as if it’s playing upon people’s conscience. I don’t know what it means, but it’s getting creepier every time I see it. No one can come up with a rational explanation of what it means. Finance, Industry, Media, Police Once again it’s time for rumour control. The main vault at the Reed Communications Tower has not been breached, no one managed to steal anything from it and The Constabulary has not opened an investigation into any incidents connected to it. The rumours began after contractors were called in to do unscheduled work on the facility following the discovery of an undisclosed fault in the system. Reed Communications were quick to release a statement to the press detailing the additional security procedures that were established until the fault was resolved and independent insurance inspectors have since visited the facility to sign off the works done. Bureaucracy, Finance, Media, Police, Politics Additional funding taken from the donation made earlier this year has been set aside to deal with the increasing problem of the security of the city’s sewer system. So far this year The Constabulary has averaged five arrests per day of unauthorised people trying to enter the sewers, mainly transients and already known criminals. A number of those arrested however appear to be normal members of the public, many of whom have spoken about being compelled to “go there”, although none can describe where “there” is. The funding will be split between The Constabulary and city ordinance, which will use the money to change to a secure lid system. Bureaucracy, Police, Street The Constabulary lost one of its “Sewer Patrols” last week in what appears to be a freak cave in. The squad of four officers was in regular contact with control when they reported that they appeared to be lost. Several minutes later they confirmed their location by referencing the hatch number of a nearby sewer lid. The transmission was suddenly interrupted by what sounded like a heavy stone being scraped against a stone, followed by silence. A second squad was sent to rendezvous with the group and found them blocked off from the surrounding tunnels after walls from what appeared to be higher tunnels fell down and trapped them in position. After a few minutes of frantic digging the team was recovered and all are now in hospital being treated for minor injuries. Bureaucracy, Occult, Police Whilst The Constabulary continue to focus on the events that almost led to the loss of four of their officers in the city’s sewer system this week, others have begun to question how the cave in occurred. The current sewer system has no crossing points in the area the officers were found, indeed, preliminary investigations show that no older systems cross the area either. The other strange aspect of the incident is that the wall that is supposed to have fallen is in fact from a part of the system located over half a mile away (identifying decals for the access hatch were found on closer inspection). No one can come up with an adequate explanation although it is currently believed that the wall may have been left in place during earlier construction works. Occult, Street Don’t try moving through the sewers man, there’s all kind of shit down there at the moment that you don’t want to start messing with, and even if you do you’ll more than likely get lost in there. Walls have a habit of changing position when you’re not looking, new doors appear out of nowhere, and it’s just a little too creepy for my liking. And don’t even start me about the smell; it smells as if something died down their; or more accurately crawled in to die down there. ~ Unidentified Loon, Hanley Bus Station. Health, Media, Police, University The Constabulary and Keele University have released a joint statement indicating that the bodies of the nineteen students thought to have been killed by Professors Lewis & Clark have now been located and returned to their families for burial. The four survivors are still under sedation at the City General Hospital following the incident. Professors Lewis & Clark were leading a field trip to determine the reasons behind the lack of animal activity in Werrington Woods when they experienced a “psychotic breakdown”. Professor Lewis was later found dead, having been shot by an unknown assailant, and Professor Clark was arrested when he attempted to attack a passing motorist. The investigations are set to continue. Police, University The Constabulary’s investigations of the events at Werrington Woods are focussing upon the presence of an unidentified third party or parties in the area at the time of the incident doubt was placed on whether the professors had constructed the traps that were responsible for the deaths of at least seven of the students. The fatal shooting of Professor Lewis also raises a number of questions as no firearms have been found in connection with the investigation. The Constabulary is requesting that anyone who has information regarding the incident come forward to aid with the investigations. Media, Police, Politics, University Whilst the first of the students killed in Werrington Woods are buried, Keele University is making plans as to how best remember those killed in the incident. The university is keen to have some sort of memorial placed at the site, but others are worried that it may become a tourist attraction to the “Serial Killer Cult” that seems to have grown up around the crimes (although technically speaking, both are actually mass-murderers as there was no single methodology). Meanwhile, work has been suspended in both the Botany and Zoology departments until all of the funerals of the victims have taken place. Health, Media, Police Just what did happen in Werrington Woods that made Professors Lewis & Clark act so out of character? Whilst certain aspects of the crime have undoubtedly been solved, this simple question still remains. Both had well established careers and solid and dependable home lives. One possible reason that is being investigated at the moment is that it may have been a delayed reaction to drugs taken in their youth (both have long since admitted taking drugs in their student days), although the likelihood of two individuals experiencing a latent drug related incident is very remote. The Constabulary is considering requesting the aid of professional psychologists to help with the investigation. High Society, Media, University “Amidst tragedy one often finds the unlikeliest of seeds”. Thus spoke Professor Richard Fellows at the discovery of the final resting place the experimental “Bristol 188” fighter thought lost in the area during testing of its Rolls-Royce engines in the late 50’s. Although the overall location of the aircraft was determined at the time, the cockpit was never found until officers from The Constabulary uncovered it on a bare patch of earth near one of the murdered student’s bodies at Werrington Woods. The plane is a major find for aviation enthusiasts who are keen to see the cockpit placed in a museum, but it is unlikely to be moved soon given its proximity to a crime scene. Occult, Police, Street Did you feel the mood on the streets last month? It seemed that the prevailing mood of dread and violence was even worse at the start of the month, as if someone had been bottling up all of the tension in the city and was just waiting for it to pop. And then suddenly, out of the blue, everything seems better with no explanation as to why? Some people who claim to be more in the know say that it feels as if something was lifted, but I’m not sure about that. Someone or something has definitely been stirring up trouble in the city though, just look at everything we’ve had over the last couple of months. ~ Sergeant Johnson, The Constabulary. Church, Legal, Media, Politics Trials have begun of the twenty-seven individuals accused of attempting to fire-bomb a number of mosques across the city in July of this year. All of the accused have been found to have had previous charges against them for either Race-Related Violence or Incitement to Racial Hatred, and over half claim membership to far-right organisations based in the city. All have been charged with Attempted Aggravated Assault, Criminal Damage and Incitement to Racial Hatred, and ten of the accused also face charges of Manslaughter. The trials are set to continue into the New Year. Media, Police, Politics, Street The Constabulary continues to post additional officers at key facilities around the city to prevent further terrorist attacks. Although much of the media focus remains on the role of Islamic Fundamentalists in the attacks, others are still pointing to members of the Todeskult as being the more dangerous of the groups. A number of believed “Recruitment Centres” have been raided across the country, including one in the city, but none of those arrested have so far faced any convictions. Occult, Police, Street Is the Todeskult just a myth or something more sinister? It was supposed to have been eradicated during Putin’s purges of undesirables during the late nineties, and yet it appears to be flourishing once again in Britain, a most unusual situation to accept at face value. Is it possible that another terrorist group is operating behind a façade of the Todeskult? If so, what does it intend to gain from such an action, the usual point of a terrorist organisation is that it is the public face of a particular point of view. Or are the possibilities of what the Todeskult really far to alien for us to comprehend? Health, Media, Police Details have begun to emerge about the four supposed members of the Todeskult who committed suicide following capture by the authorities. In each case the accused swallowed their tongues when left unattended, in one case even going as far as to bit the tongue off first to do so. The authorities are taking this as proof of their commitment to a cause, the argument being that they killed themselves rather than betray any information about others who may be active in the country. The public have been asked to remain calm on the matter whilst the authorities continue to search for any remaining operatives. Media, Police, Street, Underworld Another month, another set of developments in the ongoing gang war between The Gambinos and The Sandernacht Group. Following last months apparent gains at the cost of The Gambinos, The Sandernacht Group seems once again to have capitalised on The Constabulary’s apparent reluctance to prevent hits against key Gambino members. The big story of the month however is the loss of territory by The Sandernacht Group to the newer group, “The Consortium” (despite this set back The Sandernacht Group have made significant gains into Gambino territory). Who and what “The Consortium” is a consortium of remains to be seen, but not since the first emergence of The Daughters of the Desert has a group been able to make such a mark on the city in a relatively short period of time. Occult, Underworld Has The Sandernacht Group employed outside “contractors” to deal with The Gambinos? More and more of them appear to be turning up in the morgue every week, each the victim of a particularly violent and grisly death. Indeed, one coroner was heard to joke that “I haven’t seen a full Gambino for weeks,” after numerous bodies were bought in with missing limbs. Many appear to have been fed upon by wild animals, presumably a cruel irony against a gang that was renowned for sending people to the dogs. No matter what the story behind it all, this bold, ambitious move is paying dividends for The Sandernacht Group and increasingly putting The Gambinos on the back foot. Street, Underworld After months of speculation as to a final push by one of the two sides involved in the gang war, are we finally going to see it? A quick strike by The Sandernacht Group could see an increasingly besieged Gambino family dealt with in a matter of weeks, whilst a final retaliatory strike by The Gambinos against The Sandernacht Group is not off the cards yet. Rumours that a large shipment of unprocessed fertilizer may have been brought into the city have not allayed fears of a large scale attack either. The only thing that can be stated with any conviction is that the gangland may of the city is about to have a major change. Legal, Politics, Underworld Rumour has it that the Crown Prosecution Service are ready to cut a deal with the remaining members of The Gambino family for guaranteed protection in exchange for all of the information that they have on the identity of Sandernacht. Despite numerous claims over the years it seems that the thorny problem of who actually runs the famed crime group will not go away, despite the authorities publicly stating that he was in fact killed last year (he was identified as Harold Williams, supposedly a union representative in the city). Whether there is any truth behind the matter remains to be seen, but the fact that The Constabulary is reputedly developing a task force to provide protection lends an aura of credibility to the rumour. Bureaucracy, Police, Transport What do you know about Aquilla? It’s a serious question and one that the authorities are keen to get to the bottom of. Someone seems to be taking an unhealthy interest in the company that was created last year to oversee the management of traffic in the city, even going so far as to accost random passers-by on the street to find out. Extra guards have been posted at their facility for fear that they may be the target of a terrorist attack designed to cripple emergency response times ahead of further attacks. The Constabulary continues to hunt for the individual in question.